Skate clamp



Oct. 21, 1941. A. P. KWIERAG'A 2,259572.

SKATE CLAMP Filedpril 24, 1939 o 11. jo 7,- /^23 Paentecl ct. 21, 1941 UNITED sTATEs PATENT VoFFIcE SKATE CLAMP Andrew P. Kwieraga, New Haven, Conn.

Application April 24, 1939, Serial No. 269,568 4 oiaims. `(C1. 51-228 This invention relates to clamps for use in sharpening skates, and more particularly to a device designed to be applied to a pair of skates to hold the skates in proper position to be sharpened.

When sharpening skates it is essential that the running edges of the skate blades be held evenly in a level position so that the sharpening tool or stone may be applied to both blades at the same time, and contact evenly with said blades so as to effect a square, flat edge upon each of them. Prior devices have been suggested for this purpose, but these devices have several disadvantages. In the first place, many of them are relatively large, cumbersome devices, designed to support the skates from a table or other surface, and therefore are relatively heavy and expensive. Secondly, most devces of this character align the running edges of the blades by reference to the frame of the skate itself. This method of aligning the blades is not reliable, in that there is often a considerable variation in the distance from the frame member, and particularly in the case of so-called tubular skates, to the running edge of the blade. In other words, where the frames or tubular members are riveted to the solid blades, they are not always riveted in the same positions relatively to the running edges, and when it is attempted to align the skates by the tubular members or frames, it will be found that in some cases the running edge of one skate will be at a higher or lower level than the running edge of another.

I contemplate by the present inventionrthe provision of a very simple clamp member which may be used at the toe or heel of the skate to rigidly clamp the blades of the skates in proper position to be sharpened, so that one of these clamps may be used at the toe of the skates and the other at the heel, and a pair of such clamps in Cooperation will hold a pair of skates rigidly together, With the running edges of the blades evenly aligned in proper position so that a sharpening stone may be applied equally and evenly to both blades simultaneously.

One object of the present invention is to provide a relatively simple and inexpensive skate clamp adapted to be applied to the end edges of a pair of skates to hold them in proper position to be sharpened.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a simple and inexpensive member designed to receive and clamp one end of each of a pair of skates, Whereby a similar clamp may be applied to the other end of the skates to hold the latter rigidly in position to be sharpened.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a pair of relatively simple and inexpensive clamp members to be applied to the end edges of the skate blades, the clamp members having means to engage the running edges of the skates and thereby assure that such edges are in alignment so that a stone may be properly applied to both at the same time.

To these and other ends the invention conssts in the novel features and combinations of parts to be hereinafter described and claimed.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 isa side elevational view of a pair of skates to which my improved clamp members are applied;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the skates shown in Fg. 1;

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of one of the clamp members; and

Fig. 4 is a front elevational view of the clamp member. f

To illustrate a preferred embodiment of my invention, I have shown a pair of skate members in Figs. 1 and 2, these skates having the usual blades IE) and a framework Il to which the blades are secured. In the form illustrated, the skates are of the tubular type, the framework l! comprising tubular members to which the blade is secured, and which are adapted to be secured to the skate shoes by the flat plates IZ and 13. At the toe portion of the skate is a brace or strut member M which may be integral with the blade IO. It will, of course, be understood that ithe particular form of skate is not of the essence of the invention, and the form shown is merely by way of illustration.

The improved clamp member is shown in Figs. 3 and 4, and consists of a body member I5 which may conveniently be ofbar stock of appropriate metal. This member is, as shown, substantially rectangular in cross section, and is of sufiicient length so Vthat it may readily span the distance between a pair of skate blades when the latter are placed in parallel position, as shown in Fig. 2.

The bar or body member I5 is provided adjacent each end with a slot IG, which slots are cut in from one edge of the bar and extend through the same from top to bottom, these slots, as will be hereinafter explained, being designed to receive the skate blades. It may here be noted that the inner wall I'l of each slot should comprise a straight plane surface, which should be perpendicular to the general longitudinal dimension of the body member l5, so that when the blades of the skates are received in the slots 16 and clamped against the walls l'l, they Will be secured in parallel positions.

The cutting of the slots IVG leaves a Wing portion 18 at each end of the clamp, and into each of these portions is threaded a screw IS, which screw, as will be hereinafter explained, is designed to impinge against the blade of the skate when it is received in the slot, and clamp the blade against the wall or surface l'l. If desired, pins 20 may be slidably mounted in openings 2l in the heads 22 of the screws 19 to facilitate the tightening and loosening of these screws by the fingers. l

Pivoted to the front surface of the clamp body [5 adjacent the inner edge of each of the slots Iii is a latch-shaped member 23. This member may be conveniently pivoted to the bar by means of the pin 24, and'it is provided with a straightsided tooth or sh'oulcler 25' adapted, 'as will'be hereinafter 'explaine^d,. 'to eng'age'over the running edge of the Skate, and thusiposition the clamp upon each 'of the skates "of apair, so that these running edges willv be held in proper position to be sharpened.

As shown at the left-hand side of Fig. 4,'the member 23 is in its operative position en'gaging the running edge of the blade Hi. As shown at the right-hand side of this figure, the member 23 has been swung downwardly to inoperative position where it will be out of contact with the sharpening element as the latter is applied to the blade. It will beunderstood that the member 23 is only in-its 'operative'positiom as' shown at the left-hand side of Fig. 4, when the clamp is being applied to the skate. After the clamp has been applied and the sorew |9 is tightened to hold the Skate in position, the member 23 is then swung downwardly to inoperative position, as shown at the right of Fig. 4, so that it will'not interfere With the use of the sharpening stone.

In Figs. l and 2 of the drawing I have shown the clamp'members'applied to the skates. It will be seen that one of these members is applied to the heels and the other to the toes of the skates. Moreover, 'it will be seen that these clamps are applied to theV ends of the blades; that is, the end edge of the blade is received within the slots I6 and may be inserte'd therein'until it bott'onis in the slot, o'r engages against the bottom of the slot. The pivoted members 23 are then swung upwardly to operative position, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, so that the clam'p member is properly positioned vertic'ally of the skate blade, and bear's exactly the same relation to the running edge of the blade of one Skate. that 'it does to the other. Thisassures that the running edges of the skates will be held in a levelparallel position for the proper application of the 'sharpening tool. The screws 19 are then 'tightened and the pivoted members 23 swung to inoperative position. When the clamps have been thus applied to both the heels an'd the toes of the skates, the latter Will be rigidly held so that they may be simultaneously sharpened with a single stone in an even, efiicient manner.

It will be apparent that as the clamps position the skates by the blades themselves rather than by the frame which holds the blades, the latter will always be properly positioned in the clamp regardless of any irregularity which may occur in the securing of the blades to the frames during the manufacture of the skates. It will also be obvious that as the clamp is designed to receive the end edge of the skate blade, it may be made relatively small, With a narrow slot IG, so that it may be manufactured very economically. In certain instances where skates may have serrated blades, the clamp may be placed upon the toe brace M, if desired, instead of adjacent the running edge of the blade. It is preferable, however, to so place the clamp that the positioning member 23 may be employed over the running edge of'the blade in order that the running edges may be held in proper position for the application of the 'sharpening stone.

While I have shown some preferred embodiments of my invention, it will be understood that it is not to be limited to all of the details shown, but is capable of modification and variation within the spirit of the invention and within the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. A skate clamp comprising a rigid body member having an open-ended slot adj acent each end thereof to receive the end of a Skate blade whereby the blades are aligned by the ends thereof bottoming in said slots, means to clamp said blades in the slots, and a member on the body to engage over the running edge of the blade and position'the latter vertically in the slot.

2. A skate clamp compi'ising a rigid body member having an open-ended slot adjacent each end thereof to receive the end of a skate blade whereby the blades are alig'ned by the ends thereof bottoming in said slots, means to clamp said blades in the slots, and 'a member on the body to enga-ge over the running edge of the blade and position the latter vertically in the slot, said member being pivoted to the member to be swingable to inoperative position.

, 3. A skate clamp comprising a rigid bar having' a slot adjacent each end thereof, means cooperating with a wall of each slot to clamp a Skate blade therein, and a latch member pivoted to the bar to engage over the running edge of the blade to position the latter with respect to the clamp.

4. A skate,olampeomprising a rigid body memberfhaving `a slot opening through the edge thereof lto receive the end of Va skate blade, means carried byV the body member to impinge against the blade and clamp it against a wall of the slot, and a gauge member movablygmounted on thel body member toengage over the running edge of the blade andlposition the clamp thereon, said gauge memberbeingmovable to inoperative position to permit application of a stone to the running edge oftheblade. f ANDREW P. 'KWIERAGA 

